Before construction of the Palisades Charter High School’s Maggie Gilbert Aquatic Center can begin, school officials need final approval from the Division of State Architects. Executive Director Amy Dresser-Held said Friday that the school would not be given the go-ahead for at least another eight weeks. Dresser-Held had told the Palisadian-Post in previous articles that she anticipated the aquatic center would be complete by fall 2009, but she now said, ‘If it is the fall, it will be late fall.’ The approval process has taken longer partly because of land-stability issues, Dresser-Held said. The entire campus was built on fill in Temescal Canyon, so research had to be done on ways to stabilize the 12-lane competitive pool and adjacent two-lane pool. A concrete slab with steel rebar will be installed under the pool to provide stability, but that will increase the total cost of construction from $3.5 million to $3.8 million. English teacher Rose Gilbert, the impetus behind the project, has donated $2 million of the nearly $2.9 million raised thus far. The aquatic center, planned for the corner of Temescal Canyon Road and Bowdoin Street, will be named after her late daughter and swimmer, Maggie Gilbert. ‘We are trying to have the pool be all paid for through private fundraising, and I think we’re on track,’ Dresser-Held said. Jeanne Goldsmith, whose consulting group was hired to fundraise, said more neighborhood fundraising parties are planned. A tribute dinner to Gilbert will be held in May, and all of the proceeds will benefit the aquatic center. ‘We want to honor Rose for the angel she has been to PaliHi,’ Goldsmith said. Gilbert is still actively teaching full-time at 90 years old and has taught at the school since it opened in 1961. In addition to her donation to the aquatic center, Gilbert has given generously to the school’s library and to other campus projects as well as numerous annual scholarships. The pool will be open to the public and aquatic user groups from 5 to 7 a.m. and after 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on the weekends during the school year, Dresser-Held said. The pool will be available all day during the summer.’ ‘We already have some pool users who have locked in times,’ Goldsmith said. Westside Aquatics has contributed financially to the construction of the pool and has already secured pool time, Goldsmith said. The YMCA Executive Director Carol Pfannkuche has approached the high school about using the pool, following the YMCA’s inability to secure a new lease from the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy to continue operating the pool in Temescal Gateway Park. That pool was open all day, year-round. ‘We are trying to solicit partners who can contribute to the construction of the facility in exchange for a long-term civic center permit, [which allows for community and nonprofit organizations to use the facility],’ Goldsmith said.
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